The Mediterranean diet with lifestyle changes the risk of diabetes by 31%

A Mediterranean style diet. Therefore, in combination with reduced calorie consumption, moderate physical activity and professional weight loss support, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by 31%, according to a new study co-written by researchers from the Harvard Th Chan School of Public Health.

The study will be published on August 25, 2025 Annals of internal medicine.

We are faced with a global diabetes epidemic. Consequently, With higher level evidence. In addition, our study shows that modest and supported changes in food and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases from this disease in the world. Moreover, “”

Frank Hu, Co-author, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition. Epidemiology and President of the Nutrition Department

Previous research has linked the Mediterranean diet – which emphasizes a mediterranean diet lifestyle changes risk high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, moderate intake of leatier products and lean proteins, and little or no consumption of red meat with better results for health, including a low -level T2D risk by improving the sensitivity to insulin and reduced inflammation.

A team of employees of the prior clinical trial. the more important randomized trial in nutrition and lifestyle in Europe, has sought to understand how the benefits of the diet can be improved with additional healthy lifestyle changes.

The researchers. from 23 universities from Spain and Harvard Chan School, divided 4,746 pre -divimmendant participants into an intervention group and a control group and followed their health results for six years. The intervention group joined a Mediterranean regime. reduces their calorie intake by around 600 calories per day; engaged in moderate physical activity, such as rapid walking and strength and balance exercises; And received mediterranean diet lifestyle changes risk professional support for controlling weight loss. The control group joined a Mediterranean regime without caloric restriction, exercise orientation or professional support. Participants varied from 55 to 75 years old. were overweight or obese and had a metabolic syndrome, but were exempt from T2D at the start.

The study revealed that those of the intervention group presented a risk of 31% development of T2D compared to. those of the control group. In addition, the intervention group lost an average of 3.3 kilograms and reduced their size tower by 3.6 centimeters, compared to 0.6 kilograms and 0.3 centimeters in the control group.

“In practical terms. the addition of calories and physical activity control to the Mediterranean diet has prevented approximately three people from developing diabetes-a clear and measurable advantage for public health,” said co-author Miguel Martínez-González, professor at the University of Navarra and Deputy Professor of Nutrition at Harvard Chan School.

The mediterranean diet lifestyle changes risk study was funded by the European Research Council. the Spanish National Health Institute, the Biomedical Research Networking Center (CIBER) and the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R01DK127601).